Federal investigation sought in shooting death (Louisiana)

A group of black elected officials and pastors stood Monday at the front of New Hope Baptist Church sanctuary and announced that they have asked the U.S. Justice Department to conduct an independent investigation into the shooting death of 24-year-old George Temple II.

Temple was killed Feb. 17 by a witness during a scuffle with a Baton Rouge police officer in the parking lot of the AutoZone at 9007 Greenwell Springs Road. The witness, Perry Stephens, 56, shot Temple five times, once in the head and four times in the torso. Police Officer Brian Harrison, 32, also shot Temple, once in the stomach.

“The events of Feb. 17 were tragic for this community,” said state Rep. Michael Jackson, D-Baton Rouge, who also is president of the East Baton Rouge Parish Black Elected Officials. The group’s members helped organize Monday’s news conference.

“Temple was not a hardened criminal … he came from a loving family … therefore we stand here wanting answers.”

Those answers, Jackson and other members of the group of about 25 said, are not coming from the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating the case.

Jackson said the group knows a lot about Temple but little about Stephens. Col. Greg Phares of the Sheriff’s Office has said Stephens came to the aid of Harrison after hearing the police officer yell for help.

Jackson also said the group knows little about how the fight between Temple and Harrison began. Phares has said the fight started after Harrison, who was off-duty and working as a motorcycle escort for a funeral procession, wrote Temple a ticket for a traffic violation.

“We are putting too much of a burden on local law enforcement,” Jackson said. “We are asking too much of them to conduct an impartial investigation.”

Therefore, Jackson said, the group mailed a letter on Monday to the U.S. Department of Justice and the local U.S. Attorney’s Office requesting an independent probe.

“Our people are very concerned and wanted to know when we were going to intervene,” said Leo Cyrus, pastor of New Hope Baptist Church. “That’s why we are here today.”

The U.S. Justice Department could investigate two things regarding Temple’s death, said U.S. Attorney David Dugas.

Department officials could look into allegations of excessive force used by Harrison, which would be a civil rights violation and a criminal case, Dugas said.

They also could investigate any patterns or practices of questionable behavior within the Baton Rouge Police Department, which would be a civil case, he said.

The department would not look into Stephens’ actions because he did not commit a federal crime, Dugas said.

State Sen. Sharon Weston Broome, D-Baton Rouge, said she is considering filing legislation that would make it harder to use deadly force in self-defense or defense of others.

Currently, Louisiana allows the use of deadly force in self-defense or defense of others to “prevent a violent or forcible felony involving danger to life or great bodily harm.”

Broome said she doesn’t want to take guns away from citizens but make it harder to use those guns by law.

Dugas said he did not know when department officials would make a decision whether to investigate. Typically, he said, officials wait until the local investigation is complete.

Deputy Fred Raiford, Sheriff’s Office spokesman, said the Sheriff’s Office respects the group’s rights to request an independent investigation and that the office will cooperate with the U.S. Justice Department should it investigate.

Sgt. Don Kelly, Baton Rouge Police Department spokesman, said his agency also would cooperate with the U.S. Justice Department if there is an investigation.

Jackson said he and other members of the group have spoken with Temple’s family and that they support an independent investigation.

Nathan Fisher, the attorney representing Temple’s family, had no comment Monday.

State Sen. Sharon Weston Broome, D-Baton Rouge, said she is considering filing legislation that would make it harder to use deadly force in self-defense or defense of others.

Currently, Louisiana allows the use of deadly force in self-defense or defense of others to “prevent a violent or forcible felony involving danger to life or great bodily harm.”

It's difficult to understand how anything less than that can be countenanced. Whatever Stephens saw, it would seem to be more than just a citizen and a cop hollering at each other.

From havegunwillvote.com.....

"....Carry Permit Holder Saves Police Officer's Life
posted: Wed 02.22.06 11:34am

[Note the misleading headline below that hides the fact that the "bystander" in this story was actually a hero who saved the life of a police officer. Seems the anti-gun media just can't bring themselves to call a hero...well, a hero.]

Bystander Fired Deadly Shot, Not Officer
Feb 21, 2006, 07:39 AM CST

There were two big developments Monday in the case of a motorist who was shot and killed along Greenwell Springs Road Friday after a fight with a police officer. Investigators say an autopsy shows the deadly bullet was fired by a bystander, not the officer. Police also announced that no charges would be filed in the case, either against the police officer involved or the bystander who fired the fatal shot into the head of George Temple.

East Baton Rouge Sheriff's spokesman Greg Phares says Officer Brian Harrision was escorting a funeral procession Friday when he pulled Temple over and wrote him a ticket for breaking into the procession. According to Phares, that's when Temple attacked Harrison. Police say Perry Stevens was walking outside of the Auto Zone on Greenwell Springs Road when he heard Harrison yelling for help. Harrison was reportedly on his back with Temple on top of him. That's when Stevens went to his car and grabbed his .45 caliber pistol.

According to Col. Greg Phares, "[Mr. Stevens] orders Mr. Temple to stop and get off the officer. The verbal commands are ignored and Mr. Stevens fires four shots, all of which struck Mr. Temple."

Perry Stevens fired four shots into Temple's torso. Officer Harrison had already fired one shot into Temple's abdomen. With Temple still struggling with the officer, Perry continued to advance toward the scuffle.

"He again orders Mr. Temple to stop what he was doing and get off the officer. Those commands are ignored and he fires a fifth shot and that hits his head. The incident is over with, and as you know, Mr. Temple is dead."

Police are calling the shooting death justified. Perry Stevens has a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Col. Phares would not give out any more details relating to the shooting. Both Phares and Baton Rouge Police Chief Jeff LeDuff stopped short of crediting Stevens with saving the officer's life. LeDuff says the entire incident is unfortunate.

"I spoke with his father at the scene briefly," said LeDuff. "I think this is a tragic situation all around."

Channel 9 News is told George Temple has a criminal record, and Officer Harrison was involved in a shooting while employed as a prison guard in East Baton Rouge Parish, where he was suspended for three days back in 1995.

Reporter: Jim Shannon

[And of course, let's end the story with a negative comment about something the police officer was involved in more than 10 years ago. Yet the mainstream media wonders why they keep losing customers...]......

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